Everything You Need to Know About This Week in Food

Want to seem like you know what you’re talking about while discussing current events at the dinner table this week? Read through our essential guide to the week’s earth-shattering food news. Find out which restaurants made Michelin’s 2014 NYC Star Ratings list, what Delaware brewery is opening a beer-themed hotel, and which legendary cookbook author passed away.

Michelin Released Its 2014 NYC Star Ratings

What happened: Tuesday afternoon, Michelin unveiled its star rankings for 2014. Brooklyn's River Café is not included in this year's guide. César Ramirez’s Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare remained the only restaurant in Brooklyn with three stars. Gordon Ramsay at the London dropped off the list completely, and newcomers on the list include Carbone, Aska, the Musket Room, Telepan, and Ichimura at Brushstroke.
Who cares: River Café—which was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Sandy—has had a tough couple of years. The newcomers are probably pretty stoked.
Further reading: Grub Street's got the full list here.

Dogfish Head is Opening a Beer-Themed Hotel

What happened: Delaware's Dogfish Head Brewery announced plans this week to open its own 16-room, beer-themed hotel. "The Dogfish Inn will debut next year in a former motel space in downtown Lewes, Delaware, about 11 miles away from the Dogfish Brewery in Milton (and seven miles away from the company's brewpub, in the tourist-friendly Rehoboth Beach)," reports Eater. “Our goal is to get guests out to the restaurants in town and to explore Delaware,” Mr. Calagione told The New York Times. The rooms will have soap and shampoo infused with beer.
Who cares: Residents of Delaware. Beer nerds. Sam Calagione fans. Everyone in the world, including us.
Further reading: Head on over to The NYTimes Travel blog for the full story.

KFC Unleashed The "Go-Cup," And The World Will Never Be The Same

What happened: KFC has addressed fast food consumers’ hopes and dreams and created KFC ”Go Cups,” which easily fit into car cup holders and contain all types of fried chicken creations and potato wedges. One Go Cup with Extra Crispy™ Tenders and seasoned potato wedges contains 24 grams of fat and 1440 mg of sodium.
Who cares: Has it really come to this? We can’t sit in a restaurant and eat our fried chicken tenders, or wait until we get home to consume our Original Recipe® Bites, Hot Wings™?
Further reading: We've got the full story right here.

Legendary Italian cookbook author Marcella Hazan died

What happened: Legendary Italian cookbook author Marcella Hazan died Sunday at the age of 89. “She was the first mother of Italian cooking in America,” restauranteur Lidia Bastianich tells The New York Times. When Ms. Hazan came to New York in 1955, Italian cuisine was still exotic, and a plate of spaghetti was served with sauce reminiscent of ketchup. Marcella’s approach to Italian cooking was simplistic and balanced. She published her first cookbook in 1973, and went on to change the way Americans cook Italian food forever.
Who cares: Mario Batali—Hazan was his Julia Child. And everyone who loves Hazan's recipe for Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter (aka the most famous tomato sauce on the Internet).
Further reading: Check out this video, in which The Times’s Mark Bittman asks Hazan to tell the story of how she first started to write cookbooks.

The Deep-Fried Mac and Cheese Bun Burger Was Invented

What happened: Rockit Burger Bar in Chicago is dishing up what they’re calling a “Mac Attack”: a burger topped with scallions, lettuce, tomato, and Sriracha ketchup, sandwiched between—what else but—deep-fried mac n’ cheese buns.
Who cares: We must admit, we miss the light-as-air, soft, and oh-so-humble burger buns of our past. (Shout out to Martin’s Potato Rolls.)
We can’t say our curiosity isn’t peaked, though. If the Mac Attack was offered to us, who are we to decline?
Further reading: We've got the whole story here, and feel free to take a gander at the Rockit Burger Bar menu.

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